TWEET MUSIC

NO ARTIST Woodland And Garden Birds

(BBC Records REF 235, 2LP, mono, UK 1976) £4

Back in RC 489, Diggin’ For Gold featured a marvellous 1969 BBC album of British mammal and amphibian sounds, compiled by Eric Simms. This time, once again with Simms’ expert guidance, we explore the sounds of birds. The first two sides take us through the year, while Sides Three and Four focus on locations, including gardens and sewage farms. Much credit should go to Simms, who produced and introduced this album and obtained many of the recordings. They were first released in 1971 on two separate albums before reappearing five years later in the guise of this double LP. Clearly, assembling the recordings was a complex task; they date from as far back as the 1930s, though most are from the 50s and 60s. (Some were sourced from Sveriges Radio and Czechoslovak Radio.)

As we begin our exhilarating journey, it’s soon clear that Simms had a flair for descriptive observations. His compelling narration highlights features such as the robin’s “wistful notes”, the chaffinch’s “cheerful, rollicking songs” and the pied flycatcher’s “liquid arpeggio”. We learn about the starling’s imitative gifts and that the jay is the guardian of the woods. The detail is extraordinary. There’s an incredible excerpt featuring some intra-avian conflict as a group of small birds are heard “mobbing” a tawny owl. For another shot of tension, there is the poignant sound of a little ringed plover giving out an “anxiety note”.

While there is no doubting the album’s empirical quality, you can also simply rejoice in the sheer aural splendour of these recordings. Many of the excerpts from the likes of skylarks, song thrushes, blackbirds and lapwings are utterly beautiful. The timeless charm of these sounds is captivating without weakening the project’s scientific integrity.

Animals and insects also get a brief but fascinating look-in. We hear marvels such as a male and female badger greeting each other, a sniffing hedgehog along with the scold and whine of a grey squirrel. And if you want to check out the sounds of wasps, a leaf-cutter bee in a Dollis Hill garden or a house cricket, this is the place to come.

As a bonus, the album’s packaging is a stylish treat with a multi-coloured gatefold sleeve that includes bird silhouettes and meticulous reference notes. All told, with its “liquid arpeggios” and other joyous sounds, this is a remarkable release. And at last, I know what icterine warblers and chiffchaffs sound like.

Steve Burniston